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Rickenbacker 4001 - - - Love or Hate?
- Thread starter joshuadams7
- Start date
i obviously think theyre amazing... ive got a 1980 4001 and i put a humbucker in the back ..its quite tasty. im not a fan of 4003 neck, it feels like a 2x4. but the tone is totally unique to the ric, especially if youve got the stereo setup...and have it going through a guitar amp as well as your jumbo stack. chris squire is the man!!
You use the correct tense. The above played them - past tense! Paul and Chris may dig theirs out now and then for old times' sake, but Paul almost always has his Hofner in any appearance, Chris plays many other basses, and the others moved on when they found other basses they preferred.
That said, I had a 4001 for many years. The bridge did not lift up. I had no trouble getting it to intonate properly with the right screwdriver. Neither I nor anyone else was injured on the mythical jagged edges or whatever it is the bodies are supposed to have that so traumatize some sensitive folks. With its stock wiring included the dreaded "bass cut cap," it sounded better than any cap-less 4003. It had character, where the 4003 sounds more like every bass at Guitar Center. Oh yes, I also had ROUND WOUNDS on it! Oe noes!! The neck never snapped in two, or even warped.
As for the question, love or hate?
No.
I love the tone Chris Squire and Jon Camp got out of theirs on those classic albums by Yes and Renaissance.
I hate the fact that out of the two dozen or so 4001's I played over the course of 8 years trying to get that tone, only one came close (and it belonged to a guy who wouldn't sell it}. I finally gave up and lost my GAS for Rickenbackers (this was all ~30 years ago btw) because I kept coming across all these 4001's that sounded absolutely nothing like Camp or Squire.
Just recently I was playing in a project where I realized "Hey, if I had a Rick 4001 this music would work so much better" so I suppose the GAS isn't completely gone. But man, not worth the effort to find the gems in a sea of dogs.
Of course, I haven't even tried a Rick made in the last 20 years...
I hate the fact that out of the two dozen or so 4001's I played over the course of 8 years trying to get that tone, only one came close (and it belonged to a guy who wouldn't sell it}. I finally gave up and lost my GAS for Rickenbackers (this was all ~30 years ago btw) because I kept coming across all these 4001's that sounded absolutely nothing like Camp or Squire.
Just recently I was playing in a project where I realized "Hey, if I had a Rick 4001 this music would work so much better" so I suppose the GAS isn't completely gone. But man, not worth the effort to find the gems in a sea of dogs.
Of course, I haven't even tried a Rick made in the last 20 years...
what do you love or hate about this bass?
I HATE Rickenbackers, IMO they are all incredibly ugly. The shape is just plain ungainly and they feel unwieldy. The necks suck and the the body just feels bulky with no thought to ergonomics.
I have never understood the love affair with rics.
I don't hate the 4001 but sure do love the new 4003. I got one back in March of this year. Terrific!! 
The neck is much more stable, headstock is angled back further, poles are adjustable, has the push/pull tone selector switch (such a little thing provides so much), wider frets, and of course the improved truss rods.
Maybe some day they'll get around to fixing the bridge so it doesn't need all those additional screws that keeps it from taking off to the moon...
The neck is much more stable, headstock is angled back further, poles are adjustable, has the push/pull tone selector switch (such a little thing provides so much), wider frets, and of course the improved truss rods.
Maybe some day they'll get around to fixing the bridge so it doesn't need all those additional screws that keeps it from taking off to the moon...
I have a brand new 4001C64 and it is a KILLER bass! Plays amazingly well, sounds fantastic, and looks beautiful. What's not to love?
Engine207
Losing faith in humanity...one call at a time.
2 trussrods on all models since the early 60's. Hate'em if you want, nobody ever said we all need to play them. In fact, the fewer that do play them, the more unique my 2 Rics become. And, though this thread is titled 4001..., the 4003 is merely an updated 4001, so essentially the same bass. And the 4004 is Ric's modern bass, which seems to get very little love at all. Too bad, it's one of the nicest looking and best sounding bass available anywhere.
I'm kinda glad that not so many people like 'em, they're hard enough to get as it is.
If the demand were higher, the wait would be longer and the price would probably go up again.
If the demand were higher, the wait would be longer and the price would probably go up again.
The thing I find funny about Rickenbackers is how much there are people who "passionately hate" them. Obviously there are people who passionately love any major bass. I love Rickenbackers - and many others do as well. But there are people who are passionate about P-Basses, Musicmans, etc, etc.
It's not so often that you see people who "passionately hate" J-Basses, or Musicmans. But for some reason you get that with Ricks.
To me that's part of the charm. They're a little quirky. They feel a little different. They sure sound different. And not everyone is able to "extract the love".
I played Rics for ages, nothing else.
Got a bit fed up, sold 'em...had my head turned by 'other' brands.
5 months later, I've got one again, and am looking at another! Nothing comes close.
They can be difficult, company is a nightmare, people hate them....but us Rickenlovers are in an exclusive club!
It was the bass I always wanted, and to be - despite it's flaws - it's THE bass.
I always think - can you imagine any bassline ever, that wouldn't have sound better with a Ric?!!
Got a bit fed up, sold 'em...had my head turned by 'other' brands.
5 months later, I've got one again, and am looking at another! Nothing comes close.
They can be difficult, company is a nightmare, people hate them....but us Rickenlovers are in an exclusive club!
It was the bass I always wanted, and to be - despite it's flaws - it's THE bass.
I always think - can you imagine any bassline ever, that wouldn't have sound better with a Ric?!!
I often think about that. Especially when I listen to Geddy playing his J-Bass. Tom Sawyer with a Rick? Forgeddaboutit.
But.. there's a lot of funk/slap stuff that's on a Musicman that I wouldn't try to flip to a Rick. Stingrays also have a sound that is just right for certain types of music.
For what it's worth, the 4001 is still Chris's main, and it's the same one he's been gigging with from the start. As for Paul, he apparently has 3-4 Rics including a newer one, and people will claim to see him gig them at small venues where he is able to sit down while playing. There's a fairly common argument that says it is related to his back.
Frankly I don't mind Geddy moving on from Ricks (although I guess he does still own a few and gig one occasionally). I like his playing but I think his tone on any bass is a farty mess.
I'm intrigued as well by the people who "passionately hate" Rics. I don't passionately hate any bass. Did these people's parents get murdered by Chris Squire wielding his axe? What's the deal...? There are some basses that I think royally suck, or are way over-priced, but I'm not trying to get Congress to make them illegal or something. I feel like the haters should just chill out, if for no other reason than the fact that I've run into a lot of them that didn't even know what they were talking about. For instance before I moved there was this music store by my house and I used to go there a lot, and everyone there was constantly bashing Rics at the sight of me, knowing I played one (and they'd probably bash them all the rest of the time too, along with anything else that didn't suit their exquisite taste). They were paid to be dicks. Anyways, I moved later on and apparently my dad took my Rick into that store to buy a box to ship it to me in. He said he barely made it out of the store with the bass because three employees gathered around to try it out and would hardly let go of it. One guy said it was the best set up bass he'd ever played... I'm pretty sure according to Dad's description this was the G&L fanatic who always bragged about his L-2000. All I'm saying is a lot of the haters don't even have any real experiences to hate on, they just know what they've heard and love to bash something they don't think they can afford (even though it costs little more than an MIA Fender, you don't have to pay MSRP people!).
I can say that I do hate some basses, but merely for their aesthetics, as I haven't played any of them, and really I don't have any desire to.
If I think they're ugly, I won't own one no matter how good it may sound or play.
I have basses that I like the sound and playability very much, so I'm not constantly searching for the right bass, I already have them.
I won't say what basses I think are butt-ugly, since we're told not to bash any brands here, but there are quite a number of them that I honestly can't see why anyone would give them a second glance, much less pay thousands of dollars for.
We're all very different, and that's fine.
Why some seem to hate Ricks so strongly, I can't speculate on, but whatever.
They do seem to be more vocal than those who have a passing appreciation for them but can't afford one yet, and there are actually plenty of folks who would like to own one (or more).
To each his own.
I like 'em very much and will continue to buy and play them as often as I can.
If I think they're ugly, I won't own one no matter how good it may sound or play.
I have basses that I like the sound and playability very much, so I'm not constantly searching for the right bass, I already have them.
I won't say what basses I think are butt-ugly, since we're told not to bash any brands here, but there are quite a number of them that I honestly can't see why anyone would give them a second glance, much less pay thousands of dollars for.
We're all very different, and that's fine.
Why some seem to hate Ricks so strongly, I can't speculate on, but whatever.
They do seem to be more vocal than those who have a passing appreciation for them but can't afford one yet, and there are actually plenty of folks who would like to own one (or more).
To each his own.
I like 'em very much and will continue to buy and play them as often as I can.
I just don't see why anyone would bother to post, "I don't like Tha Soopa Bass by Soopa Bass Builders because the upper horn is too big!" or some crap like that. Unless it affects the function of the instrument I don't think anyone should be reviewing anything based on looks, because as all of us know it is extraordinarily subjective. Some of the fan club threads on here are a big LMAO Festival for me because of the pics people post, followed by many a "*drool*", and I look at the pictures and throw up a little. That's just the way it is for everyone regarding aesthetics... which I why I think people should be banned from reviewing anything based on that kind of criteria. I mean, I read Bass Player Magazine and half of the new bass reviews talk about the "awesome Jazz Bass body shape" (which is hilarious for a number of reasons when talking about a whole new model of bass and what to talk about when reviewing one) but to be honest, I think P Bass > Jazz Bass in terms of looks and, well, everything else. But some people are gaga over the Jazz Bass, and its sound, and whatever. I think looks, though, should just get tossed out the window when reviewing an instrument. Post a picture, let the people decide for themselves what's "classic" or "innovative" or "fugly".
Nice to hear some luuuurve in the camp!
For me, so many basses just have a 'bass' tone, and not much individuality in the mix.
The 4001/03 has always been, for me, the sexiest looking bass around...and you can always hear it in any mix!
In the UK, they are far from common, but still there's the hate.
I've had things like 'it's not a real bass as you have to use a pick', etc. Had that person played one? Guess what, no!
For me, so many basses just have a 'bass' tone, and not much individuality in the mix.
The 4001/03 has always been, for me, the sexiest looking bass around...and you can always hear it in any mix!
In the UK, they are far from common, but still there's the hate.
I've had things like 'it's not a real bass as you have to use a pick', etc. Had that person played one? Guess what, no!
